Heat exchange



April 13 1926' H. w. FLETCHER HEAT EXCHANGE Filed May 20, 1922 lll!! TTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

uNiTED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

HAROLD W. FLETCHER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-THIRD TO I'. E. SCHBOEDEB OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.

HEAT nxcancn. v

Application led Iay.2U, 1922. Serial No. 562,306. heat from the bleed water discharged from aA To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, Harris County, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Heat Exchanges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to a process of transferring heat from a hot liquid chemically impure, to another liquid not so contami- 'nated with impurities, 1n such manner that the latter liquid shall not be .mixed with or contaminated by the hot liquid:

In the mining of sulfur 1t 1s -customary to drill wells downwardly into the earth to the sulfur stratum and to then discharge hot water into the sulfur stratum at a. temperature high enough to fuse the sulfur. The sulfur in its fused condition may then be pumped l out of the well by the well known Frasch process. the sulfur stratum close to, or impregnated with, a quantity of cold subterranean water. To obtain the large uantities of sulfur 1n the pay stratum, it t us becomes necessary to heat up the body of cold water ad acent the sulfur, by circulating into the wel large quantities of hot water. In order to keep up the' circulation of the hot water into the chemical impurities coming from the sulfur and from other formation with which the water comes ink contact during its passage through the earth. The bleed water is thus so impure that it can not be used again due to the fact that it will corrode the pipes and fill them with scale, and this bleed water with its great heat content is now discharged to waste.

It is an object of m invention 'to transfer the heat from this c emicall impure hot liquid to a second fresh liqui without contaminating the liquid to be heated with the impurities from the said hot liquid.

More specifically, I purpose to utilize the It is usual -to find' sulfur mine, without mixing the 11 uid to be heated with the bleed water, an lwithout. the corrosion and blockin of the apparatus by the impurities in the ileed water. v

Another object is to provide an apparatus for heating fresh water by meansof the chemically impure hot bleed water without contaminating the said fresh water, and to perform this process in a manner ractically continuous, and to provide an eiiiactive apparatus for carryin out the process.

Other objectsan proved process and apparatus will be ob vious to those skilled in the art; from the more detailed description thereof which follows:

Referring to the drawing herewith I have shown, more or less diagrammatically, the installation of an apparatus by means of which my invention may be carried out, part of said apparatus being shown in central vertical section for greater clearness.

The impure water dischar ed from the bleed well is conducted throug a discharge pipe 1, into a tank or vat 2. In the upper rial, I have fixed a receivin container 3, also made ofwood, into whic the water is discharged. The bottom of this container is perforated at 4 so as to dischar e the bleed water with some force, in smal 'ets or spra s, downwardly into the vat. Below the sai container 3 within the tank I have shown a quantity of oil or other non-miscible li ht gravity liquid 5. While I have described the use of oil because of its lcheapness and convenience, I contemplate using arly similar liquid havin a different speci c gravity than that o vthe bleed water, so that the two liquids will separate easily after being mixed. In this case, the water being heavier than the oil, will be mixed therewith and settle downwardly through the oil into the bottom of the tank. The heat of the bleed water will be thereby communicated to the oil during the passage of the water therethrough. The cooling of the bleed water by contact with the cold oil vwill cause the precipitation from the water advantages of my impurpose of carrying Ao this cooled water which the heated oil will pass. Either of together with the' impurities therein, I prothese modifications are understood to be old vi e a lower outlet pipe 6, having a valve in the ordinary type of commercial heater, 7 therein to control the -rate of flow from the and I do notwish to be confined to the form tank. y described.

The oil thus heated will be conducted -While the greater part of the acids confrom the tank 2 through a lateral pipe 8 tained in the bleedwater from the .mine will having a valve 9'to control the flow, to the. settle out during the cooling of the bleed adjacent settling tank 10. This tank is water as it passes through the oily in tank 2,

'referably made ofwood and has transverse a certain amount of the acid may be held in' aille plates 11 extending across the same asgm'ore or lessemulsied condition -withthe shown in the drawing, one of these lates oil and pass in small globules suspended in being extended above the level of t e oil the oil, into the tank 10, and in order Ato and another plate extending to a pbint adfacilitate the settling out olf the acids, and 'acent the bottom of the tank and below the to neutralize the same as far as possible, I ower level of the oil. The heated oil would may attach toward the upper end of the tank thus be constrained to pass downwardly 10 a small container 24 for some neutralizing around thelower end of the first baille 11 agent which may be discharged gradually and upwardly over the top of the second into the oil through an inlet pipe there bale 12, and from thence to an outlet pipe shown. This pipe may be controlled by a 13. In this` Passage through .the settling valve 26 so that the required amountof the tank particles: o'f acid, water andbsediment alkali or other agent may be mixed with the would tend to settle out into the* ottom of oil to assist in the settling of the impurities the tank where they may be drawn olf during the passage of the oil through the through an outlet pipe 14, as desired.

The heated oil, passing outwardllyithrou l1 glasses 27 may be laced upon the side of the the pipe 13 from thev settling tan y, lmay e tank 2 and gage g ass 28 be placed upon the forced by the rotary pump v15 through a tank 10 in such position` as to indicate to the strainer. This strainer .may be of any operator the level of the liquids in the tank. commercial type and I have showh the In the operation of my device, the bleed same somewhat diagrammatically at 16 water from the mine will be discharged in the drawing. Fromthis strainer, which through the perforated container 3 under is adapted to remove any particles of suliicient head to spray the same into the scale or sediment from the oil, the said oil body of oil 5 in tank 2. The heated water will pass into the upper end of a heater 17 passing in small globules downwardly by Way of the pipe 18.- through the oil, will give up its heat to the The heater 1 may be of any commercial oil, and as it cools, the impurities in the type and the heated oil may pass downbleed Water will be partly precipitated out wardly through pi es in the heater, about and will be carried downwardly with the which pipes may lie circulated the liquid cold water to the bottom of the tank and to be heated. The pure water will' be will be discharged with the water through pumped into the lower end ofthe heater 17 the-outlet pipe 6. The oil thus heated by through the pipe 19. It will pass upwardly the bleed water will pass throu l1 the setover the pipes in which the heated oil is tling tank in the manner descri ed and be lower surface o conducted, and thus abstract the heat from forced by the pump 15 through the heater the oil 'lowing through the pipes. The 17 Where the heat from the oil will be transheated water, after passing over the pipes, ferred to the water. Saidrvater will then be will be discharged at 20 through a pipe further heated with live steam and pumped leading to the fresh water container, not into the mine to melt more sulfur. The oil, shown. The oil, after passing through the after being cooled will be forced through the heater, will be thus cooled and will iind an return pipe 2l to the tank 2 to be again used outlet through a pipe 2l back to the tank in the manner described. The water passing 2 and will be discharged at 22 at, a point `.from the heater through the pipe 20 may in the tank ap roximately level vwith the then be used in conjunction with other heated the oil therein. check Water to be discharged again into the mine valve 23 in the pipe 21 may serve to close for use. the said pipe and prevent the rising of the The advantages of this lparticular process level of the oil in the tank 2 during the lie in the efiicient manner in which the heat period when the device is not in operation. is transferred :trom the bleed water to the 'While ll have described the oil as passing oil. There will be no chance in this method, through the heater 17 through pipes thereior deposit of scale upon the pipes ot the in, it is obvious that the oil may be disapparatus, as the scale or other sediment will charged freely into 'the said container 17 he precipitated by cooling in the passage of and the water to be heated may he conthe water through the oil and will settle in ducted throu h i es in the heater over the bottoni ot the tank in such condition that g P P 4 `settling tank. It is contemplated that gage contained in the water willalso settle out and be discharged. Any small'particles remaining and'tending to corrode the apparatus, Will be settled out in the tank 10 and Will be neutralized, if desired, through the neutralizing agents dischargedl into the oil from the container 24. Very little sediment will find its way through the pump to the strainer. Such as may remain in the oil will be removed inthe strainer. It is possible therefore, to operate this process with very little injury to the installation, and one set of apparatus may be operated for long periods Without the necessity' of replacement. Further objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious to one skilled in the art without further description.

What I claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of transferring heat from 'an impure hot liquid to a colder fresh liquid comprising passing the hot impure liquid through a cooler non-miscible intermediate liquid of different spleciic gravity and adaptv ed to absorb heat t erefrom, separating the then cooled impure liquid together with its impurities from said intermediate liquid,

land finally transferring. the heat from said intermediate liquid to said fresh liquid by means of a heater.

2. The process of transferring heat from an impure hot liquid to a colder fresh liquid comprising bringing the hot impure liquid into intimate lcontact with a mass of cooler i oil, separating the then cooled impure liquid together with its im urities yfrom said oil, and finally transferring the heat from said oil to said fresh liquid by means of a heater. 3. The processof transferring heat from an impure hot liquid to a colder fresh liquid comprising bringing the hot impure liquid into intimate contact with `a non-miscible liquid of lighter specific gravity than said impure liquid and ada ted 'to absorb heat therefromsettling out y gravity thel then cooled impure liquid and tinall transferring he hdeat from said light liqui to said fresh iqui 4. The process of transferring heat from hot contaminated bleed water to relatively cold fresh water comprising bringing said bleed waterinto contact With a non-iiiiscible liquid of lighter specific gravity, settling out the cooled bleed water and transferring the heat 'from said lighter liquid to said fresh Water by pumping said lighter liquid into contact with a heat conducting container for said fresh Water substantially as described.

5. The process of transferring heat from 'hot impure bleed water to cold fresh water comprising bringing said hot bleed water into intimate contact with oil, acting to absorb the heat therefrom, separating said impure bleed water from the oil, and passing said heated oil into close relation -with said cold fresh Water whereby said fresh Water is heated. p

6. The process of transferring heat from an impure hot liquid to another uncontaminated liquid comprising 'passing said hot liquid through a quantity of oil whereby the heat isI absorbed in said oil, settling thel li uid and impurities from the oil, and bringing said heated oil into contact with the container for said uncontaminated liquid and drawingofl' the last named liquid.

7. In an apparatus for heat exchange for liquids, -a tank, a spraying device therein,

a head of oil in said tank below said spraying device, an outlet below said oil, a settling tank, a pipe connecting said tanks, a heater, connecting pipes between said settling tank, and said heater, and a pumpinone of said connecting pipes in the manner described.

8. The process of transferring heat from an impure hot liquid to a colder fresh liquid, consisting of first mixing the impure hot liquid with` a. cold intermediate non-miscible liquid of different specific gravity. to which the heat .is transferred, separating the then cooled impure liquid, together with its impurities, from the intermediate liquid, and then transferring the heat by conduction from said intermediate liquid to said fresh liquid.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature, this the 16th day of May, A. D., 1922.

HAROLD W. FLETCHER. 

